Crypto Market Update: Bitcoin Holds $115K as Traders Await Fed Decision

The cryptocurrency market experienced a slight decline, with total market capitalization dropping 0.5% to $4.11 trillion. The majority of the top 100 cryptocurrencies decreased in value over the past 24 hours, while total trading volume stood at $159 billion.

Key Market Highlights

• The crypto market capitalization fell 0.5% on Tuesday morning (UTC).
• 88 of the top 100 coins are in the red, including all top 10 cryptocurrencies.
• Bitcoin (BTC) and Ethereum (ETH) are trading at $115,864 and $4,508, respectively.
• The US Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) decision “could spark sharp volatility.”
• Bitcoin could climb toward the $150,000–$200,000 range by year-end.
• Ethereum could reach the $5,800–$8,000 range, driven by ETF rotations and network expansion.
• Tom Lee suggested BTC and ETH could see a “monster move” within the next three months.
• US spot ETFs for BTC and ETH recorded inflows of $260.02 million and $359.73 million, respectively.
• Next Technology Holding could soon hold more than 8,000 BTC.
• Investors remain cautious, awaiting further economic and geopolitical signals.

Crypto Winners & Losers

At the time of writing, nine of the top 10 cryptocurrencies by market capitalization have declined over the past 24 hours.

Bitcoin (BTC) fell 0.5%, currently trading at $115,864, representing one of the smallest declines in this category.

Bitcoin (BTC) 24h 7d 1y

Ethereum (ETH) dropped 2.6%, now trading at $4,508, marking the second-largest decline in the category.

The largest decrease among top coins was recorded by Dogecoin (DOGE), which fell 3% to $0.2669.

Only one coin showed positive movement, albeit marginally. Binance Coin (BNB) rose 0.2% to $931.

Among the top 100 coins, 12 were green. Pump.fun (PUMP) saw the highest gain, appreciating 6.6% to $0.00834.

Provenance Blockchain (HASH) followed with a 5.8% increase to $0.03772.

On the downside, Ethena (ENA) and Pudgy Penguins (PENGU) experienced the largest drops among the top 100, falling 7.2% and 5.8% to $0.6998 and $0.03299, respectively.

Meanwhile, Tom Lee, chairman of Ethereum treasury BitMine, argued that Bitcoin and Ethereum could experience a “monster move” if the US Federal Reserve approves the anticipated rate cut this week.

Tom Lee said on @CNBCClosingBell today that if the Fed cuts, the biggest beneficiaries will be:
1. NASDAQ 100 (Mag 7 + AI)
2. Bitcoin & Ethereum — “could make a monster move in the next 3 months”
3. Small caps & financials pic.twitter.com/HoEW6VgdDt

— Tom Lee Tracker (Not actually Tom) (@TomLeeTracker) September 15, 2025

‘All Eyes on the US Fed Meeting’

Bitunix analysts noted that markets widely expect the US Federal Reserve to announce its first rate cut since last year this Wednesday.

With internal policy divisions and political pressure intertwining, they wrote that the Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) decision “could spark sharp volatility.” Traders are advised to reduce leverage exposure and “closely watch the battle between BTC 117,000 resistance and 114,000 support.”

From a technical perspective, the analysts continued, “BTC liquidation heatmaps show price rallying toward 116,800, with heavy liquidation clusters between 117,000–118,000 forming a major near-term resistance band. Support lies at 114,000 and 111,000, with a potential drop toward the 108,500 liquidity zone if these levels break.”

Furthermore, Bitget’s Chief Analyst Ryan Lee added that a rate cut would reduce borrowing costs and boost liquidity, providing a tailwind for risk assets.

“Under this scenario, Bitcoin could climb toward $150,000–$200,000 by year-end, while Ethereum may advance to the $5,800–$8,000 range on the back of ETF rotations and network expansion. Together, these trends reflect a maturing market where Bitcoin and Ethereum drive industry growth in tandem, provided inflation stays contained and no major geopolitical shocks disrupt sentiment.”

Levels & Events to Watch Next

At the time of writing on Tuesday morning, BTC traded at $115,864. The coin experienced a choppy trading day, starting at $115,895, dropping to an intraday low of $114,509, before climbing to $116,000.

BTC is consolidating at $116,000–$116,750, which is below key resistance. Should it fall below $114,400, it could see further drops to the $112,000 and $108,250 levels.

Conversely, moving above $116,750 could lead to $119,500, followed by $122,200 and $124,500.

Bitcoin Price Chart. Source: TradingView

Ethereum is currently trading at $4,508. It started the day with an intraday high of $4,604, before dropping to a low of $4,476, and has been trading relatively sideways since.

Investors are now watching to see if the coin will move above $4,550 toward $4,600 and $4,700. It is facing resistance in the $4,800–$4,880 zone. Conversely, it may drop below $4,400 toward $4,250.

Ethereum (ETH) 24h 7d 1y

Meanwhile, crypto market sentiment has remained largely unchanged over the past few days. The crypto fear and greed index fluctuates between 50 and 53, standing at 50 today, compared to 50 yesterday.

Sentiment remains somewhat bullish, though investors are cautious, waiting for further economic and geopolitical signals.

Additionally, US spot Bitcoin exchange-traded funds (ETFs) recorded their sixth consecutive day of inflows on Monday, totaling $260.02 million. The cumulative net inflow has now reached $57.09 billion.

Four of the 12 ETFs saw inflows, while one recorded outflows. BlackRock accounted for the majority of the day’s positive flows, taking in $261.82 million. Meanwhile, Bitwise saw outflows of $18.81 million.

Similarly, US Ethereum ETFs recorded inflows for the fifth consecutive day, totaling $359.73 million. Two of the nine funds saw inflows, and one saw outflows. The total net inflow has reached $13.72 billion.

BlackRock and Grayscale recorded inflows of $363.19 million and $10 million, respectively. Fidelity recorded outflows of $13.46 million.

Meanwhile, Next Technology Holding, China’s largest publicly traded company holding Bitcoin, plans to raise up to $500 million through a common stock sale. The company intends to use the proceeds to buy more BTC and fund other corporate initiatives.

It currently holds 5,833 BTC and could exceed 8,000 BTC with this latest move.

NEXT Technology Holding Inc. has filed a Form S-3 registration statement with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, seeking to raise up to $500 million through a shelf offering. The company intends to use the proceeds for general corporate purposes, including working capital…

— Wu Blockchain (@WuBlockchain) September 15, 2025

Quick FAQ

1. Why did crypto move against stocks today?

The crypto market decreased over the past day, while the stock market increased on its previous trading day, reaching record highs. By Monday’s close, the S&P 500 was up 0.47%, the Nasdaq-100 increased by 0.84%, and the Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 0.11%. Investors are confident that the US Federal Reserve will announce an interest rate cut on Wednesday.

1. Is this drop sustainable?

The market is still consolidating, and this is likely to continue for a bit longer. Markets are now awaiting Wednesday’s developments before making further moves, though many analysts argue that the rate cut news is already largely priced in.

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The crypto market continued its two-day correction, with the GameFi sector leading losses after a 4.41% drop, dragging tokens like GALA and FORM down over 5%. Bitcoin slipped 0.07%, holding steady near $115,000, while Ethereum fell 1.93% to around $4,500. Major meme coins also saw declines; Dogecoin (DOGE) is down over 4% in the past 24 hours, while PEPE and PENGU dropped 7% and 6.5%, respectively.

But what else is happening in crypto news today? Follow our updates.

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